What should you do when you find a cat or kittens?

Adult Cats

If you find a adult cat or a kitty walks into your home what should you do? There are a few steps you should take before reaching out to a rescue to re-home or deciding to keep.

• Check for a microchip
  • Any vet including the ones in pet stores will check for a microchip at no cost to you
  • If one is found you will have a direct link to their owner
• Post flyers around your neighborhood with a good picture and description of the kitty
• There are several lost and found facebook groups for each county. Search for the local groups to you and post the kitties info or look and see if anyone posted their lost cat.
• There is a specific sub-section in nextdoor for lost animals. Please post there.
• Does this kitty have an ear tip?
  • If this kitty has an ear tip it is possible that he/she has a home at a nearby colony.
  • Ask if he/she belongs to someone on a facebook group Cats In Knead

If you have followed everything listed above and no one has claimed your found cat after an appropriate time we can help you re-home if that is your wish. We have what is called a courtesy listing program. This is where we can help with basic vetting, list on our website and you can bring to our adoption events with the understanding that you will continue to keep the kitty/kittens in your home and take care of them until adopted.

To join this program you will need to keep your cat/kittens current on vaccinations (you will need to provide proof to us), agree to bring them to adoption events (unless old or they hate events), and make sure they are 100% flee free for events.

If this sounds like an option for you please fill out our Re-Homing Application and a Courtesy Listing Waiver.

Kittens

Kittens found in the wild are vulnerable. Our first instinct is to scoop them up and save them. But is this really the right thing to do?

When you find a kitten or a litter of kittens please make sure that mom has not just left them to hunt for food. Mother cats will leave them in all kinds of places thinking they are safe and then leave for hours sometimes to find food. if mom has left them in an unsafe place, please move them near by and place them on a soft blanket to wait for mom to retrieve them.

If it is clear that the mother cat is not coming back please email us at catscanic@gmail.com or post on the Feline Bottle Feeders of Central Florida to see if someone there can assist.

If you are unsure of what to do please reference this Flow chart to help.